The Do's and Don'ts When Reading Odds in NFL Betting

Point spread, money line, over/under, rotation number, and money line are just some terms that you must understand when analyzing odds.

Each of these things is extremely important in NFL betting and, of course, to punters.

When first looking at the odds on betting websites, it’s expected that a first-time bettor would feel confused. Analyzing odds requires your full attention and a clear mind.

To help you with this, read below for the do’s and don’ts when reading odds in National Football League betting and the essential terms you have to understand.

Before we proceed to the do’s and don’ts of reading odds, you should first understand the following terms.

It makes things easier for you to understand and analyze the information as we proceed with this page.

Important Terms

Rotation Number

Rotation number, rotation mark, or number is a way to identify a bet and submit a wager.

It’s assigned to every chance possible on websites like a numerical ID in a sportsbook. You can find it at odds boards typically.

Point Spread

Point spread or spread is a bet on the number of points that an NFL game will win or lose the game. Look at your sportsbook to check the set number of points listed.

If you’re new to betting on NFL odds, then you should bet on point spreads before going for more complicated bets.

Moneyline

A money line or line is relatively simple.

You have to use the odds and determine which team you think will win the National Football League game.

Over/Under

Over/under is also called total. It’s because punters will gamble whether the team will score higher or under the listed amount by the sportsbook.

The Do’s

Bet on the Underdogs

Underdogs have a significant payout. You should look at the point spread odds and look for teams with a positive or plus sign next to their numbers. Weigh in on the factors present before going for an underdog. For example, if an underdog has a +10 point advantage and the favorite has all their starters resting, then, by all means, bet on the underdog! The numbers and factors may vary, so do your research before placing anything on the underdog.

Look at the points listed by the bookmakers and the final points of your team. If the team loses the game by less than the number of points listed on the website, you can also win this way. On the other hand, if the team loses by greater than what the bookie listed, you would lose the amount you wagered.

Look for Ties

You can get your original bet back in a tie of point spread results. Typically, when winning a chance, you can get your original bet in addition to the amount based on the odds. However, if the point spread for both teams in a match is a round number, then there’s a chance it could be a push or a tie.

If the NFL team scores the exact number listed on the point spread, you’ll win the wager you placed, but not any additional money. For example, if a team listed on the website is -10, they only won by 10 points in the game. Then, there’s no winner, and you’ll get your original bet.

Look at Over/Under Odds

Look at the over/under odds if you want to try different bets. If you’d look at the section of over/under on your betting website, you’ll see that it’s only a single number; and that’s only listed for NFL games. This number refers to the expected total number of points that both teams will score.

The nature of an over/under bet entails that you’re going to bet if the final score is under or above the listed amount. If you think the team will score higher, you bet over. On the other hand, if you believe that they will score lower than the listed above, you’ll bet under.

The Don’ts

You Tend to Focus on the Public’s Favorite

The public’s favorite is often the expected team to win. If many people know this already, the earnings aren’t quite as good. When looking at the odds of these favored teams, understand that they should win more than the listed points.

For example, if the number listed is -5, the team should win more than 5 points to win the wager.

You Assume That All Bets Have The Same Odds

Notice how over/under and point spread have different odds? That’s also the same for other odds for prop bets and money line bets.

Now that you know what prop bets are, it’s like answering a yes or no question.

Final Thoughts

Bookmakers utilize odds to level out the playing field, so punters would wager on both sides and avoid biases. Indeed, there are numerous popular teams in the National Football League.

Still, the way to find who’s in good condition throughout the season is by reading the odds.